Aeon Eiz Erebos
|caption = |name = Vandheer Langrisser |kanji = |romanji = |alias = Throne of Dreams |race = Human (Ageless) |birthdate = Unknown |age = 500+ |gender = Male |height = 6'4" |weight = 220lbs |eyes = Crimson |hair = Azure |affiliation = Hydaelyn, God of Light Earthland |previous affiliation = Atlantis (Ancient civilization) Arcane Research Academy |occupation = |previous occupation = Atlantis Scholar, God Slayer |status = Active |magic = Apocrypha of the Five Worlds Dark God Slayer Magic Curse Geomancy Memory Control |weapons = Magic Staves }} Aeon Eiz Erebos (イオンエズエレボス, Ion Ezu Erebosu), it is said that he emerged as if from a great dream, descending from the aether of consciousness unbidden but welcomed nonetheless. It was in an era of war and strife, where man battled gods, and dragons. He was a force of nature, a wild fire illuminating the darkness, a vanguard against subjugation and destruction. The brave souls who pledged themselves to his name, became the source of his power and his blade was lit with the flame of their sacrifice. Across the heavens he clashed with gods, who became victim to his wrath. From the highest mountaintop to the deepest ocean he waged battle against the mighty dragons, and they too fell before him. Yet there was one enemy he was never able to surpass. The fear that consumed the humans for whom he had so desperately fought for, became his undoing. In the end, he vanished. Centuries pass and his name and deeds were worn away by the sands of time, forgotten. Yet therein lies the deception for in lies there is always a grain of truth. He who was to become Aeon Eiz Erebos was a man like any other. He had dreams, he had family and he desired all earthly things as any human would. Vandheer Langrisser (ヴァンドヘール ラングリッサー, Bandahiru Rangurissā) was and is the man behind the monster. He is one of the last remnants of an ancient order of a bygone era. He was at first a scholar of a prestigious university where magic was academia. He studied magic in all of its beauty and complexity, found camaraderie with his peers, even love. It was a time where magic was prolific, where the greatest Archmages of his time stood at the height of their era. But history like time repeats itself, fragments of shattered desires pour into a single ambition and a dream defies death. War engulfed the land, and the thrones from whence gods once rested were vacant, instead they walked among the mortals leading the faithful in brutal combat. The devastation wrought by these battles reshaped the very earth itself, continents were split, mountains erected and annihilated, and entire civilizations collapsed. In that chaos, in that dark era Vandheer would transform from teacher to warrior, to god slayer. But no mortal man could survive such a turbulent age, and so to face the world as it was, he became someone else, something else. He donned the name Aeon Eiz Erebos, and as they say the rest is history. Now he wanders, cursed by his magic forever compelled to fight on the behalf of others, forced to endure the pain and misery of humanity as he takes on its sins. He is a mage of great power, yet he and his brethren are shrouded in a cloak of mystery. Some call them saviors, saints whose holiness is matched only by their incredible power. Others would call them devils, whose black magic is a blight and whose existence must be extinguished at all costs. Appearance Personality History Synopsis *'Gods and Titans' (ongoing) Powers & Abilities Immense Magical Power: His presence is felt before he is seen, a veritable maelstrom of ancient otherworldly power surging with divine holy energies and dark chaotic forces. Powerful and immense its depths, it is as if one is gazing upon the glory of sun, the sheer brilliance of its his power is blinding in its capacity as is the foul nature that accompanies it. Light and darkness intertwined, when he releases this unfathomable aura the very world itself becomes alit with his power. Holy light surges to the heavens, gleaming in a scintillating rainbow of hues, it is the fire that quenches the darkness, the blessed illumination that banishes evil in all its forms. Such light is purity itself, a warmth that spreads through the soul and delivers unto those who have lost everything the spark of hope. Yet simultaneously a presence so dark and foul evil itself would recoil in horror at its abysmal depths. It is darkness incarnate, fear and terror made manifest, the raw fury of a thousand souls crying out in rage at their eternal damnation. It is cold like the chill of winter, its tendrils seeping into the skin pressing against the bone with the certainty of death at its wake. It is a nauseating miasma that wrecks vengeance upon the living as their minds are racked with images, and impressions of suffering untold. Such is the nature of Vandheer's magical power, a dual serving of contradictory forces that clash endlessly with one another. Geomancy Geomancy (γεωμαντεία; lit. "Earth Divination"): The elements are the basic components that comprise existence, all things found in nature are built from their essence. When one first immerses themselves in magic, the roar of fire quickens the heart, the unyielding strength of the earth guards their weakness and the limitless skies symbolize the awakening of dreams long since abandoned. Magic at its root is based on the notion of symbolism and the power evoked by those symbols. Proponents will state the words of power, and language and incantations are the foundation for magic but such limited perspective is misleading. From whence does language come from? From where do words receive their meaning? The earliest civilizations did not have words, they used carvings of what they saw in nature, and within this bountiful world are shapes. Lines, waves and circles are the basic shapes by which the world is perceived, by which objects and living things have structure. It is evident that mimicking these simple shapes allowed humans however primitive to invoke the magic of the world. Geomancy translated as "Earth Divination" was likely developed as a rudimentary form of manipulating the natural currents of energy of the world by casting stones to determine the future. Over time these techniques were refined, as the shapes and sizes of these stones allowed humanity to discover that certain configurations of shapes generate a resonance with magical concepts. The Geomantic Magic System of Atlantis is centered on the notion that shapes are symbolic representation of the elements, the esoteric arts and all magic. The configuration of these shapes therefore define the complexity, scope and overall power of any spell, allowing the Mage to weave magical phenomena into what was once considered miracles. Within Geomancy there are three core principles that make up its system and they are as follows: *'Elemental Configuration' (Θαύμαδουλειά, Greek for, "Thaumaturgy" or "Miracle Work"): In Geomancy, an elemental configuration is the system by which the arrangement of the elements are defined. Within this system the Atlanteans regarded air, fire, earth and water as the four primary elements with quintessence as the fifth element. All spells are derived from the configuration of these elements, and the expression of any particular spell can be traced to a given arrangement. The elements themselves are symbolic of both their physical aspects and spiritual. Therefore its possible to invoke characteristics of both even when using the same elemental symbol. *'Magical Lensing' (Καλειδοσκόπιο, Kaleidoskópio; Greek for, "Kaleidoscope"): Just as a given shape or symbol embodies a unique characteristics of an element, there exists configurations that amplify the strength and presence of a given element. This also means that there are arrangements that serve as resistance or have the ability to dampen the aspects of an element. Within nature there exists certain objects that are capable of very strongly resonating or even nullifying an element, and these are known to humans as gem stones or crystals. Atlantis studied them thoroughly once their civilization realized the potentiality of these precious earthen materials. They were harvested as items to harness magical power and utilize spells with startling efficiency. In time Atlantis slowly removed itself from the reliance on physical components, catalysts or foci after the development and widespread use of magic capable of tracing the physical composition of these gemstones which could then be translated into elemental configurations. These were then incorporated into the basic design of virtually all known magic circles used within geomancy, thereby allowing mages of all caliber to wield magic with frightening precision and power. *'Internal Resistance' (Αντίσταση, Antístasi; Greek for, "Resistance"): This principle refers to the degree by which an object, or force is resistant to change. Within the context of Geomancy and Atlantean Magic it is the properties of a given element which are either resilient or weak towards another element or power. All elements have certain strengths and weaknesses and these are carried over to the spells that an elemental configuration creates. Internal resistances can apply to a spells given range, its limitations, what it is capable of doing and the degree of modality that it has when in interaction with other forces. For example, a fire spell would not ordinarily function underwater, because water douses flames, but by modifying the elemental configuration it is possible to manifest a spell that generates pure heat, which can raise the temperature underwater and be used as a means of attack. Conversely this also means that elements that would ordinarily be weak to another or even categories of spells can be modified to dampen their weaknesses and improve their strengths. Mages will typically focus on specific shools of magic, even particular spells acquiring the knowledge and feel of how to perform these spells more efficiently. Some may even obtain the ability to alter these spells, changing the form, power even adding new characteristics it did not have before. These are all forms of internal resistance manipulation. Aeon who wields the skill to discern an elemental configuration, replicate the magical lensing properties through his own magic, and his understanding of internal resistances provides him an unprecedented level of precision, control and skill with his elemental configurations and thus all of his magic. First World Πρώτα Κόσμος Γεωμαντεία: Στοιχείο Κλίση (Greek for "First World Geomancy: Element Tilt"): Is the name referring to Aeon's form of magic, and its capabilities within the realm of Geomancy. With his understanding of elemental configuration, Aeon is capable of arranging shapes from his magic to conjure forth the elements into dazzling displays of elemental might. The manner in which he casts spells is perhaps the most intriguing as compared to more modern spellcasters who delve into some derivative of Kido. Because shapes are so integral to Aeon's method of spellcasting, magic circles are featured prominently throughout his magic. These circles are composed of an interlayer of shapes, sigils and signs representative of the elemental configuration in accordance with the spell he is preparing to cast. These are conceptualized within his mindscape and with his magic the circle is projected outward into the world allowing for the interference of the natural world, and thus magic. When performing energy intensive spells, the magic circle itself actually becomes visible as tangible light that manifests beneath him. Such signs are indications that Aeon is preparing to cast a truly powerful spell of possibly cataclysmic proportions. Magic within the First World is limited to only elemental conjuration, and reinforcement of the physical layer of reality. However even with such constraints the possibilities are nearly endless. Aeon is capable of conjuring forth any material that can be found in nature, regardless of rarity or complexity. From the rarest metals, to the numerous gases and the myriad of fires and water that exist, so as long as he is able to conceptualize their existence he can utilize them within his magic. Atlantis had a robust library of knowledge regarding the physical laws of reality, that is only scarcely rivaled by the breakthroughs in modern science. As such he is intimately familiar with how the interaction of matter and energy occurs in the physical world. With that understanding comes a frightful grasp of the potential abuses magic has on the physical world. Reactions that could only occur within very specific circumstances can be freely emulated through magical elemental configuration. Though some reactions would require tremendous amounts of energy, Aeon is able to bypass this limitation through his knowledge of internal resistances and magical lensing. With magical lensing he is able to alter the apparent properties of an elemental or interaction by amplifying or dampening certain aspects of its physical characteristics. The most powerful example of this is his ability to harness nuclear fusion with his magic. Reinforcement is a form of magic in Geomancy which amplifies the physical characteristics, thereby making them more efficient. With this its possible to make fire hotter, or earth more durable. This is used throughout his elemental configuration to produce spells of a near supernatural nature, though they are still bound within constraints of nature. This magic is the basis for the more combat oriented mages such as Aeon who used it to augment his own physical abilities granting him enhanced speed, strength and durability in addition to a host of other enhanced abilities. He has developed several styles to exploit this and despite having focused on his magical capabilities, remains an immensely formidable opponent should he refrain from wielding his spells. *'Elemental Constructs:' One of the most basic forms of magical manipulation is the conjuration, or creation of elemental substance. This is achieved through an interweaving layer of the three fundamental principles of geomancy; elemental configuration, magical lensing and internal resistances. By combining the underlying concepts of all three it becomes possible to conjure an element by realigning the structure of ambient energy within the environment which in turn will evoke the element into being. It should be stressed that geomancy at its core does not employ the use one's own personal magical potential or reserves, merely his or her understanding of the never-ending creation of the world. Thus any geomancer or Atlantean Mage is capable of employing fantastical elemental conjurations so as long as the energy exists around them. Power is drawn from the soul of the environment, from nature. It is gathered but untouched, pure but dormant as it is in the natural world. Without a catalyst it will remain as it always is. Elemental configuration is used to provide shape and form of the desired elemental form, whereas magical lensing and internal resistances account for the channeling of the elements physical characteristics as it actualizes into a spell. Aeon's methodology revolves around the manifestation of elemental constructs, constructs such as weapons, siege weapons, fortresses and the like composed of a given element. A wall of fire may burn as hot as any star but possess a rigidity on par with any stone or metal, making it equally as tough to break through. Though it should be noted that Aeon is not limited to static constructs, he is fully capable of creating elemental manifestations that resemble animals both natural and mythological in form such as winged lions composed utterly of flame with claws stronger than any steel. He will summon them from the world and hound his opponents with a dazzling display of elemental dominance, transforming the environment itself in a fearsome legion to terrorize and destroy his enemies. *'Magic Amplification & Dampening': A duel between masters of the First World is a splendor all on its own and why not? Two mages wielding the powers of creation itself, unleashing fiery constructs across howling skies as they clash atop fortresses of earth and ice while a chaotic storm churns in the heavens above. But what of the mages themselves whom wield these fearsome powers? How is it that they are not destroyed by magic wrought by their will? Do they weave signs conjuring shimmering shields of eldritch power to part the the tide of destruction sent their way? While that may be true for a novice, the most skilled and astute observers of the First World understand that such defenses while impressive are unwieldy. Magical lensing and internal resistances are the key to grasping the finer mysteries of geomancy and though any expert will exclaim that they understand the principles behind them, those who have mastered the First World know the truth. An elemental configuration by itself will only bring about a fizzle or spark before ultimately failing. This is because without magical lensing to amplify certain key physical characteristics and dampen others, the internal resistances of the element and the desired form of the element will interfere with each other causing the destabilization of the spell. When a master erects a proper defense against a spell what he must truly do is determine the internal resistances of the spell and alter them through magical lensing, which in turn can cause the spell to dissipate entirely, or at the very least have its effects weakened, if not redirected for yet another purpose. In one such battle Aeon faced off against a High Enchanter. In this encounter the magician unleashed a deafening wave of lightning, punctuated by the roar of a dragon in all its unbridled wrath. Rather than evade or even summon a protective shield, Aeon reconfigured the spell on the spot! He raised the internal resistances of the lightning component causing the wave to split into thousands of arcing bolts. He further altered the very path of the spell by redirecting the path of least resistance causing the bolts to shoot harmlessly around him. Ordinarily the will imposed on a spell by a master caster invariably makes it resistant to these very changes, to prevent other spellcasters from wresting control of the spell. But the principles behind geomancy differ in that spells are categorized as "reconfiguration of the environment" and thus like an element or force found in nature are equally subject to change. Thus it became common practice for Atlantean Mages to incorporate triggers within their spells that further changed them when subjected to a change. Subsequently magical duels often spiraled into a massive battles whose origin could be traced back to a single casting of a spell. Αντιλαμβάνονται ως Αδιαίρετος (Antilamvánontai os Adiaíretos; Greek for, "To Perceive Undivided"): This is a power born from Aeon's journey to experience the truth found within nature. While many First World Mages assume that to advance to the Second World requires an arbitrary mastery of elemental configurations and spellcasting the actual truth of the matter is quite different. Though divination as a skill is useful it is the basis for a Mages comprehension of the world around them. For Aeon he reasoned that in order to become a master of the physical he had experience the world fully through each of his senses. He underwent a daring, if unorthodox training regime where he learned to cast all of his spells using a single physical sense, while having the others sealed, and then imagining the sensations he would have otherwise felt by their casting. He lived such a life for five years, dedicating his life towards a single sense for one year each before a revelation occurred within him. The constant conceptualization of his senses, focused towards each singular one somehow granted him an understanding of the world. It was as he so often describes a level of comprehension that cannot be shared through words, only experienced. Suffice it to say he achieved a new level of awareness that fundamentally altered his perspective of the universe. His senses when they were eventually returned became unified. What one sense perceived all of them perceived at once. As he gazed upon a tree in the distance, he was overcome by the sensations he was suddenly experiencing. Though he was quite a distance away's far beyond the range of conventional senses, he could feel the bark of the tree as though he were gently caressing its trunk. He could smell the scent of its leaves, and the earthen aroma that surrounded it. He could hear the branches sway in the wind and taste the tree itself, all through input of his vision alone. Even blinded, what he could hear he visualized, smelled, tasted, and touched, all of his senses bound as one. Wound together it was at first disconcerting but in time he grew to appreciate his newfound perception. His reality was different now, the elemental configurations which he had thought mastered were so very novice in his eyes. There was more to creation than he could have imagined, and with it, his mind and soul transcended without ever really trying, to the next world above. Trivia Behind the Scenes *The character in many ways is based off of Vandheer Lorde from the flash game series Armed With Wings by Armorgames and shares his art for his alias Aeon Eiz Erebos. *Aeon Eiz Erebos's name is inspired by the character Ainz Ooal Gown, from the series Overlord. *As a whole the character draws inspiration from several different sources, notably Dark Souls, Demon Souls, Overlord, as well as Bloodborne.